Thursday, June 27, 2019

Melina Ghio investigates THE BOWHEAD PUB Montreal's new vegan hot spot!

A very nice atmosphere awaits at The Bowhead Pub Photos © Melina Ghio, 2019 

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The Bowhead Pub: Montreal Blog advertised it as the first Vegan Pub in Montreal, which I am pretty sure it is. But in this world where the word "vegan" can mean so much, and evoke such different images to so many of us, I was really curious: what was this bar's take?

I arrived at the pub, walked in and was warmly greeted by the PR team and waiting staff. There were smiling faces all around, decent lighting, very little decor, some food to the side for influencers and journalists to sample. I waltzed around, got a feel for the place, tried some food (more about his later), and had the chance to speak with one of the owners, Sahar Cohen. Now here is an amazing dude if I ever met one.

The first big question, of course: why a vegan pub? The short of the long is that Sahar essentially wanted to create a regular pub where people could enjoy a beer and the game, and where the food just so happens to be vegan. "You won't find green smoothies here!" Something kind of liberating here, I thought. When you go to the Bowhead, you're basically just going to a really cool bar in a trendy neighbourhood.

So why is it so important to this man to have a vegan bar? What is his take on Veganism? On the surface, the Bowhead is a bar with some big TVs and a few decorations on the wall. Scratch a little and you encounter a plethora of carefully thought out details that would make my vegan-activist friends proud.

First of all, the pub itself is named after a whale that WAS endangered (congratulations to those who strived to save this creature!). This would explain the seafaring theme you will note in the minimalist decor. Sahar has such an appreciation for animals, now would probably be a good time to tell you he wants to open an animal sanctuary one day.

Secondly, the upholstery is made of vegan leather. So it isn't even only the food but the seat you're sitting on was carefully chosen to abide by vegan principles.

And finally, we turn to the food. I was perhaps a little disappointed to see that the burgers were pre-bought and not homemade (Beyond Meat makes for a delicious, albeit not necessarily the healthiest burger), but when I asked about palm oil, Sahar made a face which I related to all too well.

"Ah, the problem with palm!"* Entirely consistent with his love for animals, he told me there were serious efforts to reduce the consumption of palm oil in the Bowhead. He could not guarantee a palm-free environment, but I have to say, it was a pleasant surprise to see that he cared enough about the issue to make a conscious effort to significantly reduce the amount of palm oil used.

Poutine, burgers, appetizers that will definitely please! Photos © Melina Ghio, 2019
I also had a chance to speak with chef Diem Tong whose previous experience was at the fancy Italian restaurant Richmond and seafood spectacular Jellyfish. The Bowhead gave her the opportunity to design a menu and with this chance, she encapsulated the vision and the subtle yet strong vegan presence the bar projects. If you look at the menu, you won't see anything different from any other bar-- you have your beer, your burgers, your variation of fried potatoes. The only thing is that it's all meatless.

She had also worked in graphic design and worked on the Bowhead's logo. The look and feel of this pub is clean and cool, everything you would expect from a new bar in the Plateau.

Although the Bowhead does not cater to the gluten-free, they do offer the option to order your burger with a lettuce bun. And their sauces are GENIUS. I'm a stickler for the finer details which fine-tune my experience in a new place, and as much as the food is typical bar food, the sauces are punchy and the added peppers here and there really add a fun twist to the dishes. And the poutine is so cheesy you wouldn't believe it wasn't cheese.

Insofar as pricing goes, even if you are paying a little more for your drink, is it nice to know that your money is supporting a place that encourages animal conservation. People often wonder what kind of change one person can really make in this crazy world we live in-- I'd like to suggest that buying a drink in at the Bowhead is a great place to start! Otherwise, you are literally just enjoying a night out in an awesome atmosphere. THE BOWHEAD PUB

Address: 3723 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, QC H2X 2V7
*palm oil production is a major contributor to the demise of the orang-utang population in Malaysia

-MELINA GHIO
for PARADOX

Monday, June 17, 2019

AROUND THE WORLD! Fashion 2020 for men & more!

Tag Heuer Unveils New Monaco Limited Edition At Exclusive Event In Le Mans  / LE MANS, FRANCE - JUNE 14: Patrick Dempsey and Chad McQueen attend Tag Heuer New Monaco Limited Edition Unveiling Exclusive Event at Domaine de la Groirie on June 14, 2019 in Le Mans, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/Getty Images for Tag Heuer)
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Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup /ROME, ITALY - MAY 24: (L-R) Sarah Siegel Magness, Harry, Duke of Sussex, Nacho Figueras and Michael Carrazza of Team Sentebale St Regis, celebrate victory with the trophy after the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup between Team U.S Polo Assn and Team Sentebale St Regis, at Roma Polo Club on May 24, 2019 in Rome, Italy. This is the ninth Polo Cup for Sentebale raising funds and awareness for the charity's work supporting children and young people affected by HIV in southern Africa. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson/Getty Images for St Regis Hotel & Resorts) 
SPRING is the season to create and energize life!

 Franklin Eugene Fashion Designs CITRUS 
The topmost image shows PATRICK DEMPSEY, aka Doctor McDreamy, in company of CHAD McQUEEN looking so much like his dad the late STEVE McQUEEN I had to look twice!

They were both at the exclusive launch party for the limited edition TAG HEUER MONACO GULF SPECIAL EDITION 50th ANNIVERSARY at LE MANS FRANCE this past June 14.

In the middle, HARRY, DUKE of SUSSEX with his old friend polo player NACHO FIGUERAS holding the cup for their annual charity event that benefits Sentebale.org a charity that assists children and young people affected by HIV. This year the event took place in Rome.

Finally a quick look at Franklin Eugene Fashion Designs as shown in Milan June 17.

The designs are light and breezy intended for well built men who need comfort and elegance:

 Franklin Eugene Fashion Design
« Franklin Eugene International LLC had a fashion presentation June 17, 2019 in Milan, Italy.  The fashion house showcased designer Franklin Eugene’s latest menswear collection, CITRUS.  The collection is inspired by a CITRUS color palette that includes lime green, lemon yellow, vibrant orange and tomato red.  Stitched with fabrics that include organic cottons, silks, and wool, this collection is Franklin Eugene’s take on incorporating citrus inspired colors and prints into a Spring/Summer menswear collection.   The clothing is light weight, comfortable, soft, and sun, surf, and sand ready.  The collection remains true to Mr. Eugene’s signature style affections- clean lines, strong cuts, and fantastic finish work.  Once again, we see Mr. Eugene lean forward and innovate with our first look at what is likely to become a brand fan favorite the FRANKLIN EUGENE TRENCH SHIRT (a range of shirt designs inspired by the trench coat).  There is progression and transition and the pinnacle of the range is Franklin Eugene at his best, providing an edgy twist on a classy white suit.  It is the brand’s first foray into swimwear and the lemon and orange print swim shorts are fully lined.

“Like the elements of citrus that inspired the collection, these clothes are light, fresh, and vivacious.   This is fun fashion.” noted Mr. Eugene.

Contact info@franklineugene.com for more information on pre-order for this collection.
FRANKLIN EUGENE – THE STRENGTH IS IN THE CUT. »

 Franklin Eugene Fashion Designs CITRUS

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Water, Consciousness and the Prophecies of Nostradamus • Update EMERGE ART DOES GOOGLE


North Korea missile test photo that headlines Google News on May 6 2019 
Kim Jong Un looking at rocket launch.
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In July 2013 I became fascinated by the fact that digital cameras can photograph water speaking in images. The study of these images made by water is very ancient and is traditionally known as scrying. Cameras before the digital age could not capture these delicate nuances flowing rapidly inside a bowl of water. Those cameras would only capture the surface of the water.

By the fall of 2013 I had researched some areas where I felt the phenomena could shed  new understanding. Specifically the writings of Carl Jung who researched innumerable ancient texts to define the common symbols within our unconscious minds that transcend culture and the prophecies of Nostradamus who describes in his own writings:

Century I Quatrain 2
The wand in the hand is placed in the middle of the tripod's legs.
With water he sprinkles both the hem of his garment and his foot.
A voice, fear: he trembles in his robes.
Divine splendor; the God sits nearby.
 
-how he used scrying in conjunction with astrology to make predictions. For the latter my interest was in establishing if the phenomena he probably saw looked like what I photographed. The brief articles I wrote:


-are still widely read around the world. The photographs I had taken then are very primitive as I struggled to make the action inside the water visible with as little distortions as possible. So far I have not succeeded in getting assistance to verify if there was light technology that would allow better capture of the action inside the water. The result is that my studies have evolved by following the natural light from the Sun at specific Time + Space using whatever technology the universe would provide.

On May 6 2019 I had a perfect moment of light combined with a gorgeous Biquintile between the Sun in Taurus to Jupiter in Sagittarius. This date was underlined in the continuing challenge where art is used to Master the Stars and assist the healing of nature during the Climate Crisis. I wanted to verify how water would respond to Google News on my tablet where the images fill the entire screen above the headlines. I selected two images that startled me by their clarity from almost 200 images. There is a 10 second delay between Image A and Image B. Both manifested in front of the exact photo on top of this article where we see the rocket  test launch conducted by North Korea on May 5 2019. There were no photos of Kim Jong Un in the headline. I added the photo of the NK leader so you could see why I thought Image A evoked him.

It is self-evident to me that my work proves the existence of a wild creative force that is intelligent, sentient and capable of communicating with us. It is also clear that humanity has a warped relationship with this force for reasons too numerous to describe. This evidence puts the kibosh in all current scientific knowledge because it proves that this force can reverse any existing reality in seconds while science doesn't dare look at it! As for translating the meaning of the message in the water in this circumstance I can only speculate. Is it demonstrating that the NK threat is greater than we imagine? What President Obama said in 2016 / What President Trump said in May 2019
Image A: The image on the left is the original while the one on the right has been despeckled, sharpened and darkened so we may better observe the features that so evoke Kim Jong Un. In spite of the distortion we recognize the NK leader's pout and features. This proves that water responds appropriately to the subject behind it although I cannot at this time elaborate on a prophetic meaning. Image A © -LENA GHIO , 2019
Image B: I was taken aback by the clear luscious features that reminded me of a profile I had seen before in my practice. Below you see one of those images. It was taken in October 2017 when I still lived in Montreal. The one photographed this May has a totally different vitality and glow. I took this image in Pointe aux Anglais using different water and the Sun is at a different angle than Montreal. Image B © -LENA GHIO , 2019 
In this sequence you can get a closer look at the features emerging. Click on the image to get even more details. 
© -LENA GHIO  
This image taken October 28 2017 that I call The Seer is dull by comparison to the ones taken in 2019 but the profile, with the aquiline nose, is the same. What a mystery! © -LENA GHIO

To finish my experiment I took a few photos from my Twitter feed. It opened to a tweet by Jerry Saltz, an art critic I truly enjoy. He was describing a visit to The Museum of Modern Art and an installation he just loved. On the right you can see a small figure on the bottom right side of the bowl evoking a person with a similar appearance as Jerry Saltz.
 Again, water was spot on! It created an image I can recognize as closely associated with  Jerry Saltz  © -LENA GHIO 










Monday, June 3, 2019

THE INVISIBLES by Claus Räfle

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A riveting documentary-drama where the actual survivors of the World War II genocide carried out by the Nazis narrate their stories of survival in Berlin. We follow four young people navigating the insanity of that time and place in human history who are hiding in plain sight. I was so scared for them even though they are the ones telling the story.

It is an excellent feature film that should remind all of us not to take anything for granted in the world!

Now Playing in Montreal for a limited time!

-LENA GHIO   

Cirque, Art & Cinéma @ Montréal Juin 2019

Où Vont Les Fleurs La chanson de clôture et le titre de ce cirque audacieux interprété par Marlene Dietrich 
Photos © Lena Ghio, 2019
J'adore le spectacle annuel des finissants de L'École nationale du cirque à La Tohu. Les jeunes audacieux riche en énergie et joie nous livrent à chaque année des performances inusitées où l'imagination et l'innovation réinventent les classiques du cirque.

Cette année le choix de musique est très fort ouvrant avec Carmina Burana et se poursuivant avec des classiques comme Où Vont Les Fleurs.

Une nostalgie souligne l'action trépidante. L'oeuvre ne recule pas devant les soucis extraordinaires de la jeunesse actuelle dont les changements climatiques. La force du spectacle est dans son interprétation originale des acrobaties. Je n'ai jamais rien vu de pareil!

Le spectacle se déroule jusqu'au 9 Juin 2019

Mon Garçon de Christian Carion BANDE ANNONCE 
Mon Garçon 

Christian Carion et Guillaume Canet ont collaboré sur deux films à succès dont Joyeux Noël qui a eu plusieurs nominations pour meilleur film dont un Oscars en 2006. L'histoire est celle d'un jeune garçon qui a disparu de son camp de jour et de son père jusque-là absent qui fera tout pour le retrouver. Le scénario du film est construit autour de ce thème mais le texte et les dénouements sont improvisés par Canet qui est mis en situation comme le père vivrait l'expérience: tout le monde est suspect, il repense à tout et il frappe. Cela occasionne des inégalités au niveau du tempo du film. Par moments je ressentais des longueurs. Cependant le suspense m'a retenue jusqu'à la fin. 


Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal
Carré d'art contemporain, pavillon Jean-Noël Desmarais – niveau S2
Du 30 mai au 10 novembre 2019
OMAR BA : VISION PARTAGÉE
Premier solo de l'artiste au Canada